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Social Media and Sleep: What’s The (Damaging) Link?

As a millennial, I grew up at around the same pace technology did. As I got bigger, phones and computers got smaller, and from this, social media expanded at a rapid pace. Nowadays, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t created an account with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or the many other apps and websites that have blown up over the past decade.

On the surface, social media seems like a wonderful aspect of our society, and in many ways, it is. Social media allows us to connect with other people who share common interests and passions, and it can help us stay in touch with people who live far from us no matter which corner of the world they reside (or vacation). However, healthcare experts have begun to notice an upsetting correlation between social media use and the rise of mental and physical health issues.

How Social Media Can Impact Your Sleeping Habits

A recent study revealed that people who identified as compulsive social media checkers (logging on more than three times a day) tended to experience sleep disturbances much more often than their counterparts who did not feel a need to check their social media accounts as frequently. Essentially, the two problems feed into each other to create a negative cycle. When a person is sleep-deprived, they are more likely to become more easily distracted by social media, which is an easy habit to keep up with even when experiencing the effects of sleep deprivation. Unfortunately, checking social media, especially late at night, can lead to sleep procrastination due to stress or a false sense of awakeness caused by the blue light from computer and phone screens.

How Else Can Social Media Harm Your Health?

A person’s mental health can also suffer greatly from the overuse of social media. The more a person checks their accounts, the more likely they may be to compare themselves to others and feel left out, unaccomplished, or “behind” in life. For all the ways in which social media can connect us, it has the potential to cause rifts in our relationships as well.

If you want to prevent these issues from impacting your life, try to get better sleep and reduce your time on social media. You can do this by keeping all electronics out of your bedroom so you only associate your bed with sleep. It may help to set a block on your computer so you can only check social media certain times during the day.

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This article is made available for general, entertainment and educational purposes only. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of The Joint Corp (or its franchisees and affiliates). You should always seek the advice of a licensed healthcare professional.

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